As documents are edited, changes to the document may be represented through changes in the on-screen display of the document. In a basic implementation, a first version of a document may be displayed, an edit may be received, and then the display may be changed without transition to show the edited document. For some basic changes, such as the addition of a new character to the end of a line of text, the immediate display of the edited document may be sufficient to communicate the manner in which the document has changed, with a smoother display providing a more pleasing visual experience. For more complicated or substantial changes, additional clarity may be provided to the user with a display that captures the change or changes to the document rather than merely switching from the display of the old version of the document to the new. It is with respect to these and other considerations that the present improvements have been needed.